The deteriorating castle was quiet in the early stages of the night. Perched high up in the thick of the trees Ginto was as still as death. Rain drops trickled down his face while he silently traced a pattern in the jagged rocks of the exterior of the castle. Difficult, but not impossible. He glanced between the raging ocean smashing into the stone pillars and the sole bridge that connected the castle to land. Sesshomaru gave him explicit permission to break the alliance treaty if need be, but he still wanted to do everything in his power to avoid doing so. Thankfully his scent wasn't an issue because Lord Tengu wasn't familiar with it.

Hours passed while he perfected his plan and the rain became steadier in response. As he used his forearm to wipe the water from his eyes and forehead, a lone figure standing near the castle in the dead of night caught his attention. The figure with the familiar scent hesitated near the bridge for a few moments before finally running full force ahead. "Kagome," Ginto whispered as his lips parted into a proud smile, "Attagirl."

Pushing off the branch he shot down towards the ground and the moment his feet hit the ground he darted towards the bridge. Despite the deafening waves roaring below he could hear clanking armor and yelling coming from within the castle. Time was of the essence and he hoped he could get to her in time.

Too scared to look back, Kagome's lungs burned with each breath as she ran for her life. She gripped the knife that was resting against her body when a blur shot out from the trees and was rushing in her direction. That has to be a guard, she concluded. Without losing her pace her eyes quickly darted to the ocean below, but she knew her chance of survival would be low and that she only had one choice. "AHHH," she screamed with pent up anger as she plunged the knife towards the approaching blur. Her wrist unwillingly stopped in mid air and she mentally prepared herself for a fatal stab wound.

"Hello to you too," Ginto teased with a smile as he yanked her back towards the trees.

"Ginto!" Kagome sighed with relief as she jumped on his back, thankful to see a friendly face.

As he raced back towards the trees Ginto stole a glance over his shoulder and watched with surprise as hoards of men were released from the gate. "Shit," he mumbled while gripping Kagome a little tighter. Lord Tengu smugly walked back and forth on the balcony watching the scene unfold, confident he would be delivering Kagome's body along with a bonus one directly to Sesshomaru tonight.

"DAMN!" Ginto cried out in pain as Kagome flew off of his back and into a tree. He flinched at the cracking sound that came shortly after and he hoped it was just some tree bark splitting. Looking down at his bloodied foot, he began pulling at the snare that he was trapped in. "Kagome... KAGOME!" he tried to hide the panic in his voice the best he could. Slowly, she rolled over and began gasping for air while simultaneously coughing. The sound of men and the faint glow from their torches was beginning to feel a little too close for comfort. With one last yank, Ginto freed his foot and scooped her up.

Kagome couldn't ignore the trail of blood being left behind as he ran. "Ginto. Stop," she pleaded. "At least let me bandage it up so they can't follow us."

"There's no time, my Lady." Kagome was right, but they weren't far enough away to consider slowing down even for a minute. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't," he sighed. His head snapped at the sound of running water and quickly bounded off in that direction. With just a few long leaps, they landed in a small stream which quickly diluted his blood enough to be undetected by humans. The sounds of men and clanking armor were now far enough in the distance that he felt comfortable to head upstream at a slower pace. His eyes carefully scanned the woods and remote villages situated nearby.

"Ouch," Kagome cried out after a coughing fit, grabbing her ribs. Her wheezing filled Ginto's ears as she rested her head on his shoulder. She wanted to offer to walk, especially after Ginto's injury, but she had used her last remaining energy on her escape. With her eyes only half open something caught her eye. "There," she pointed out.

Ginto hesitated at the sight of the seemingly abandoned smoke house, but he knew he had no other choice at the moment. His sensitive ears could tell that the men were covering a larger area than he could've anticipated. Quickly inspecting his wound, he was relieved to see it was already scabbing over so he could walk there without leaving a blood trail.

Inside the shed, smoked fish and other meats hung abundantly on the walls. "Are you alright?" Ginto asked while giving her a quick look over.

"Yeah," Kagome lied while curling up on a pile of blankets.

While giving her a more thorough inspection Ginto realized her rib was broken, or at least cracked. Her cough sounded deep inside of her lungs, indicating she had been sick for awhile. The large infected looking scab on her back began bleeding slightly and her skin was hot despite her shivering. It was clear she had been through hell.

"Thanks for saving me," Kagome said sincerely.

Ginto smiled at her humility. "You saved yourself, Kagome."

"Yeah. I guess I did," she whispered with a smile as she drifted off to sleep.

Ginto paced around the small shed peaking out of the cracks in the wooden walls. As the hour dragged on he could hear the men splitting up even further apart trying to cover more ground. After another hour he saw movement outside and heard a twig snap; it was obvious that their goal was to get close to the shed undetected. He silently hoped that the warrior would try to be a hero and not call for others. Sure enough the figure crept closer and closer to the shed, stopping to listen every few steps. Positioned in front of the door, Ginto crouched down and watched as his prey continued closer.

Before the man could even scream, Ginto quickly snapped his neck and threw him off to the side. Immediately the forest went back to being completely silent and Ginto closed his eyes to listen for the faintest trace of the nearest enemy. Instead he heard Kagome stirring.

"Is it safe to continue?" Kagome groaned while sitting up, remembering that the luxury of time was not on their side.

Ginto nodded. "The closest human I hear is about a mile away, but we should be able to manage. I know Lord Sesshomaru will be pleased to see you tonight," he added.

Kagome's face blushed at the mention of his name before burying her face in the crook of her elbow, trying to stifle a cough.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ginto couldn't help but ask again.

"I..." Kagome cut herself off from embarrassment. She was desperate to prove she wasn't weak. After spending so much time in her safe world she lost the girl she used to be; the fearless priestess. Night after night she had mourned this era thinking she would never return to the place she felt the most at home. Now more than ever she was determined to prove that she truly did belong here. Ginto's intense green eyes were staring at her waiting for her answer, but she realized that being vulnerable and telling the truth weren't a sign of weakness. "I need to go to the bone eaters well," she finally mustered out. "I think I need medicine from my world to help me."

Ginto sat beside her and loosely rested his arms on his knees. "Ah, my lady... I don't think that's going to be possible." Kagome softly gasped at Ginto's admission. "You sort of took matters into your own hands and derailed my plans for your rescue," he nudged her while smiling. "Sorry," he said in response to Kagome wincing in pain. "There will be a bounty out for us soon. We need to get back to the West as soon as possible."

"We have to do something, Ginto," Kagome urged. "I really think I need my medicine."

A quick touch to Kagome's forehead confirmed a fever, and he contemplated what to do. Tapping his fingers on his knee, he went through various scenarios of how to get her what she needed but also safe and sound back with his Lord. "Is there someone who could get it for you?"

"Not uh," she answered shaking her head. "The well doesn't let just anyone through, if it will even work again. Only Inuyasha was ever able to come home with me."

At the sound of Inuyasha's name Ginto quickly smacked his neck and rubbed it. After relieving the itch, he inspected the palm of his hand and noticed a nearly microscopic flea smushed in the center. Just as he was about to brush it off it sprang back to life.

"Bleh, nowhere near as good as the Great Dog Demons."

"Myoga!"

"Kagome!"

Ginto's eyes flitted between the insulting flea standing on the palm of his hand and Kagome, confused with their reunion. "And you know each other how?" he questioned with a chuckle.

"Master Inuyasha sent me himself," Myoga stated proudly. "I have to say, Kagome, that was some escape. It was hard to find you two. However," he turned towards the door, "The dead warrior outside the hut doesn't conceal you too well."

"The WHAT," Kagome grimaced.

"A little problem I took care of," Ginto reassured. "I thought we would be on the move by now, although I should probably take his armor to help blend in."

Ginto gently placed Myoga in Kagome's palm and quietly slipped outside of the shed to change. "Myoga... I need your help," Kagome whispered, not sure if Ginto would like what she was about to ask. "I need you to tell Inuyasha to go back to my time and ask my mom for medicine from a doctor. Medicine from the store won't be enough. It's important you remember to tell him that detail.

Myoga stared at the pleading priestess before him. While demon himself, he had been around enough humans to tell that she was dying. How much longer until that happened, he didn't know, but he was sure Kagome could sense it too. "You have my word. I will tell him right away," he nodded sympathetically.

Before Myoga could scurry off, she had one more question for him. "Do... do you think the bone eaters well will work?"

The flea demon couldn't tell if she was asking due to her mortality, for Inuyasha's safety, or both. "The will of the sacred tree will be carried out." They shared a solemn nod and just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone.

A single tear made it's way down her cheek when she realized that her life was in everyone else's hands except her own. Sniffling back more tears, she closed her eyes and once again tried to find Sesshomaru's light in the darkness, in case she didn't live long enough to make it back to him.

Author's Note:

Hello, friends! Happy Friday!

Well, 2 months went by pretty quick. Whoops! I've noticed I tend to go between reading, writing, and video games. Lately I've been playing the new Story of Seasons game because it's so nostalgic. I did get some reading in before that came out thankfully, so now here we are!

Poor Kagome, I unintentionally beat her up so much.

Short little update/rambling. It's late and I'm tired so I'm off to bed. I hope you're all having a relaxing and fun summer!

Until next time!